Reading 1
1 Cor 4:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now it is of course required of stewards
that they be found trustworthy.
It does not concern me in the least
that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;
I do not even pass judgment on myself;
I am not conscious of anything against me,
but I do not thereby stand acquitted;
the one who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 37:3-4, 5-6, 27-28, 39-40
R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
Criminals are destroyed
and the posterity of the wicked is cut off.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Gospel
Lk 5:33-39
The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink.”
Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
then they will fast in those days.”
And he also told them a parable.
“No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.
Otherwise, he will tear the new
and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,
and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,
for he says, ‘The old is good.’””
Reflection
A new concept is always good especially if it is positively contributing to an endeavor. Yet if it comprises change, some shy away from it. Some prefer things the way they are. A good number want everyone else to change while they stay the same. Some like change but there is quite a number who are normally comfortable with their present lives and are therefore resistant to change.
Change is necessary for progress. In order to prosper even in the Lord's work, one needs to change and be transformed. Change is good but may be very uncomfortable to many as it means purging our hearts with anything that cannot co-exist with Christ. For us to live a new life in Christ there is a need for absolute change. We cannot have new life by having our old ways. Change is necessary. Otherwise, the inevitable occurs and the new life we have in our Lord is lost.
There are some of us who are so used to just making things work, settling for the minimum, just being happy with surviving and not striving to get the best out of every circumstance. We do this despite the fact that we know that “just surviving” will never suffice. We get short-changed ourselves as we settle for something that is second best. This is what Jesus had in mind when He said that trying to put new wine into old wineskins just does not work.
In our inner lives, a simple patchwork, a little change here and there, a positive turn only if it suits our comfort zones, will never work. We need a complete turn around. We need to start afresh with a completely new life in Christ. "New wine should be poured into new skins." Otherwise what we have started with a good intention of improving our inner selves will come to naught.
Man’s band-aid approach of just holding things together will never be good enough. We need to have new lives in Christ and be spiritually renewed. Such a life definitely necessitates a radical opening of our hearts to the Holy Spirit and faithfully living out our new life in Christ.
As our Lord’s vessels of evangelization and formation, we must find the most effective way to pursue our tasks rather than trying to force others into our mold. Traditions come and traditions go. We need to know when to let go, when to adapt and make changes. We need to acknowledge if our system of discipline is no longer working and when we need to apply the loving and forgiving approach of Jesus.
Our goal is to build a bridge to people and draw them to God rather than push them away. If being legalistic is repulsive to the flock, we need to look at how Jesus moved from law and compliance to the spirit of love. Our frame of mind is not to believe that it is our way that works, it is not tradition neither is it the newness of one’s ways. We are not brought to faith by our established traditions any more than we are redeemed by our innovations. Quite a number of times, our innovations and slick presentations become the focus of our ministry. Our focus should be Jesus.
The questions "Is it new?" or "Is it old?" are not relevant. What we should ask are: Does it honor God? Does it bring people to God? "Does it bring all to Jesus?" Does it speak the Truth that we all have in Jesus? Are we trying God’s people to conform to our ways rather than seeking to conform to God?
"No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. Luke 5: 37-38
Let us open our hearts to the Spirit so we may be able to discard man made structures and get a whole new life, adore God and follow His loving and merciful ways!
Direction
Be firm and steadfast in our faith and stand for what is right in the eyes of the Lord no matter where the wind blows! Be flexible and open to CHANGE if that is what God’s Word requires.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me be an agent of CHANGE, RENEWAL and REPENTANCE. In Jesus, I pray Amen.
